Love Unconditionally: Lessons Learned from Yoyo

   What do you call someone who loves you unconditionally? What do you call someone who loves you even when you are annoying? What do you call someone who sticks with you to the end? You may call them a friend, family member, etc. But, I called that my dog.

   Yoyo Yoda Scheuing was born on May 9^th, 2008. He did not meet me until he was around a year and 1 1/2 old. We got him from a place where he was in a bin with his brother and 2 Jack Russel Terriers. He was pretty much the low dog on the totem pole. When I saw him I thought he was so beautiful, but when I picked him up he would shake. He was scared and I could tell that he had been burned before. We took him home and it took a while for him to trust us. But, when he did finally trust us you could tell. He would even do things like lean back at the top of the steps and trust us to catch him.

   Through the years I learned many lessons from Yoyo. I learned that it is important to show self-control no matter what. Like most dogs, Yoyo liked people food. He had a tendency to try to grab our food and, if he got it, he would scarf the whole thing down while hardly taking a breath. In turn, he would end up throwing up after that. Thus, why we need to control ourselves.

   I learned to be excited about the little things. Every time I would come home he would bang on the cage to be let out, or be at the door, then he would jump on me and give me kisses. He would do that every time. It may seem like routine to walk in the door each day. But, you never know how much time you will have with someone. Yoyo made each minute with me count, even if those minutes were sleeping minutes.

Yoyo Yoda Scheuing
May 9, 2008-March 4, 2019

   I learned how to show love unconditionally even when someone annoys you. Yoyo and my sister had a love/hate relationship. She loved him so much because she loves dogs. She would pet him, feed him, and give him treats. In return, he would growl, snap, and even try to bite her sometimes. As their relationship grew he would almost bite her and then lick her right after that. He did love her, as he loved all of us. It didn’t matter if we had just yelled at him because he ate trash or if we had just put him in the cage. He loved us no matter what we did. That’s why I can see that God is Dog spelled backwards.

   I’ve never had a friend like Yoyo. He was always there for me, even when I didn’t want him to be there. Now, he is gone. Yoyo died early in the morning on March 4, 2019. My sister and I were there to say goodbye. Our house will not be the same without that little Pomeranian sheltie chomping around, cleaning up messes, acting like a cat, barking at random noises, and sometimes accepting cuddles. I miss him terribly but I am so thankful for the times God gave me with him. I love you little Doody head and I miss your snapping already. <3

   So, do you take the time you have with others for granted? Will you spend each moment with those you love like it’s your last? Will you love others unconditionally?

   1 Corinthians 13:4-7, Ecclesiastes 3:1-8, Psalm 23:4